Production of high-pressure pipes and vessels



A. C. VIVIAN Nov. 20, 1951 s/2,576,085 PRODUCTION OF HIGH-PRESSURE. PIPES AND VESSEL Filed May 15. 1948 Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-PRESSURE PIPES AND VESSELS Arthur Cecil Vivian, London, England, asslgnor to Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited, London, England, a British joint-stock corporation Application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,317 In Great Britain May 7, 1947 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-4483) 1 2 The invention relates to the production of is secured at its ends to the vertical limbs of pipes and vessels for holding fluids under high L-section flanges, the horizontal limbs of said pressure, and is more particularly concerned with flanges slidably engaging the centre pipe.

the formation of so-called banded" pipes and. Gland joints may be provided between the vessels, wherein a number of bands or hoops I core pipe and the flanges and between the are shrunk on to a core pipe or vessel. flanges and the centre pipe. Said gland joints It is well known in the production of such may advantageously consist of rubber rings or pipes and vessels, to subject the pipe or vessel, L-section leathers. A after the bands or hoops have been shrunk on, With the above arrangement, the configurato an internal pressure which is several times tion of the core pipe between the hoops or bands the pressure to which the pipe or vessel is to is determined not only by the radial pressure be subjected in use, such internal pressure first exerted within the annular Space between the forcing the core pipe or vessel into intimate core pipe and the centre pipe but also by the contact with the hoops or hands and then exend load, since the end'members can slide over tending the wall of the pipe or vessel to take the centre pipe during the application of hoopup a permanent set in the form of corrugations ing pressure to the core pipe, and it will be between the hoops or bands. By operating in understood that by varying the relative dimenthis way, the core pipe or vessel and the enclossions of the end members and of the centre ing hoops or bands are formed into an integral pipe, any desired de e of hoop 0 the core structure which is capable of withstanding a pipe may be achieved.

pressure several times the normal working pres- The invention will now be described by way of sure. In subjecting the pipe or vessel to the example with reference to the accompanying calculated internal hooping pressure, the core drawings, wherein:

pipe may have a blank flange fixed to each end. Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the as- Alternatively the core pipe may be supported sembly ready for hooping, and

upon a centre pipe, which is filled with con- Figure 2 is a fragmentary section through one crete to enable it to withstand the pressure apend of the assembly.

plied by means of end members which are welded Hoops or bands I 0 are shrunk on to a core both to the core pipe and to the centre pipe. pipe II in the usual way, a hoop or band being The invention is concerned with the method positioned at each end of the core p D An of manufacturing banded pipes and vessels, annular flange I2 is then welded to each end wherein a core pipe is supported upon a presof the core pipe assembly with the inner ansure-resisting centre pipe by means of end memnular surface I 3 of the flange forming an exbers so as to form an annular space between tension of the inner surface 14 of the core pipe, the core pipe and the centre pipe, liquid under the flanges being welded to the core pipe and pressure being supplied to said annular space the end hoops or bands. The assembly is conto exert the necessary hooping pressure on the centrically supported upon a centre pipe l5, core pipe. The principal object of the invenby means of annular members I B of L-section,

tion is to provide a method wherein the degree which are bolted or otherwise temporarily joined of hooping depends not only upon the radial to the flanges [2 as indicated at ll. The L- pressure exerted within the annular space besection members [B are slidably supported on tween the centre pipe and the core pipe but the centre pipe by gland joints l8, conveniently also upon the end load. It is also an object of rubber rings or U-leathers. Similar gland joints the invention to provide an arrangement for IE are also provided between the annular memcarrying out such method whereby the end load bers l6 and the flanges l2, whereby a fluidmay be easily and quickly varied, so as to pertight joint is made between them so that it is mit any desired degree of hooping. unnecessary to machine the adjacent radial faces According to the method of the invention, the of the assembly before hooping, since intimate core pipe, with the associated hoops or bands, contact between said faces is unnecessary. is supported on the centre pipe by means of Liquid is supplied under pressure to the anend members, one at least of which is capable nular space l9 between the centre and core pipes, of sliding on the centre pipe during the appliwater being a convenient liquid for the purpose cation of the hooping pressure. and provision being made for clearing the air According to the preferred arrangement, the from said annular space. The pressure is gradcore pipe with the associated hoops or bands, ually built up within the annular space until the 3 determined hooping pressure is reached. The hooping pressure is determined having regard to various factors including the thickness of the wall of the core pipe, the spacing of the hoops or bands, and the properties of the metals or alloys constituting the core pipe and the hoops or bands. We have found that a pressure of about 4000 lbs/sq. in. is satisfactory in the case where a vessel of 4 6" diameter with a core pipe thickness of 1%" is to have a bursting pressure of 6000 lbs/sq. in. The diameter of the centre pipe for this particular case is such that the product of the hooping pressure and the cross-sectional area of the annular space is equivalent to the desired end load of about 3,000 tons.

In general the end load is calculated, for any particular diameter of vessel and wall thickness, so that at the hooping pressure the swelling of the core pipe between the bands is limited to a prescribed amount. The basic principle is that part of the hooping pressure on the core pipe between bands is carried by circumferential stretch and the remainder is transferred by longitudinal tension to the bands.

On the completion of the hooping operation, the pipe or vessel is stress-relieved, or alternatively the stress-relief is carried out before hooping. The sliding end members and the centre pipe are then removed, and the pipe or vessel fitted with dished or conical ends with suitably machined joints and subjected to a final test pressure of 50% above the working pressure.

I claim:

1. A method for the manufacture of highpressure pipes, comprising shrinking a number of bands on to a core pipe at intervals along its external surface, positioning a centre pipe within said core pipe, supporting the core pipe on the centre pipe by means of annular end members which are secured to the ends of the core pipe and which slidably engage the center pipe, and supplying liquid under pressure to the annular space between the core pipe and the centre pipe so as to cause the core pipe to expand and take up a permanent set in the spaces between the bands, the degree of expansion of the core pipe being determined by the radial pressure thereon and the outwardly acting longitudinal load at each end thereof caused by the pressure of the liquid on the annular end members.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the annular end members are of L-section each having a radial and a lateral limb with respect to the centre pipe, the ends of the core pipe being secured, as by bolting, to the radial limbs of the end members and the lateral limbs extending between the core and centre pipes so as to form an annular space therebetween and being in slidable engagement with the centre pipe.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the core pipe is secured, as by welding, at its ends to annular flanges which in turn are secured, as 3y bolting, to the radial limbs of the end memers.

ARTHUR CECIL VIVIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,095,477 Still May'25, 1914 1,115,411 Dixon Oct. 27, 1914 1,271,455 Fitts' July 2, 1918 1,320,430 Wheeler Nov. 4, 1919 1,733,455 Ferrand Oct. 29, 1929 1,777,555 DYarmett Oct. 7, 1930 1,861,304 Etheridge May 31, 1932 1,975,422 Hellenbroich Oct. 2, 1934 2,028,151 Grant Jan. 21, 1936 2,036,475 Heimbach Apr. 7, 1936 2,050,228 Mantle Aug. 4, 1936 2,421,276 Lotz May 27, 1947 2,430,100 Brumder et a1. Nov. 4, 1947 

